If you were lurking on Tumblr or Twitter back in 2012, you definitely remember the "Beasties." That’s the hardcore, ride-or-die fanbase that kept the CW’s reboot of Beauty and the Beast alive for four seasons, even when critics were busy sharpening their knives. The show was a weird, moody blend of a police procedural and a sci-fi thriller, and honestly, the beauty and the beast tv series cast is the only reason the whole thing didn't collapse under the weight of its own convoluted mythology.
It’s been over a decade since the pilot aired. You’ve probably seen some of the faces pop up on Netflix or in prestige dramas and thought, "Wait, I know them." But what have they actually been up to since the show wrapped in 2016?
The Faces of VinCat: Kristin Kreuk and Jay Ryan
Let's talk about the chemistry first. Because, look, the writing for Catherine Chandler and Vincent Keller was... a lot. They were constantly being torn apart by shadowy government agencies (Muirfield, anyone?), memory wipes, and literal beastly transformations. But Kristin Kreuk and Jay Ryan sold it.
Kristin Kreuk (Catherine Chandler)
Before she was the tough-as-nails NYPD detective, she was Lana Lang on Smallville. After Beauty and the Beast, she didn't just disappear. She went back to her Canadian roots and starred in Burden of Truth, a legal drama where she played a high-powered lawyer. She also executive produced that one, proving she’s got as much brains as she does screen presence. Most recently, she showed up in the first season of Reacher on Amazon Prime, and she's currently starring in the detective series Murder in a Small Town.
Jay Ryan (Vincent Keller)
The New Zealand actor had the impossible task of playing a "beast" that looked like a supermodel with a slight facial scar (at least in the early seasons). He’s been busy. The big one? He played the adult Ben Hanscom in It Chapter Two. Seeing him alongside Jessica Chastain and Bill Hader was a trip for long-time fans. He’s also been doing heavy-hitting work in Australia and NZ, like the miniseries Scrublands and the drama Territory.
The Supporting Players Who Stole the Show
You can’t have a brooding hero without a geeky best friend and a skeptical partner.
- Austin Basis (J.T. Forbes): J.T. was the moral compass and the guy who had to explain all the science-y stuff. Austin Basis is still a huge advocate for Type 1 Diabetes awareness and has kept working steadily in shows like The Resident and Lucifer. He’s also a big presence on the convention circuit—he genuinely loves the fans.
- Nina Lisandrello (Tess Vargas): Tess was arguably the best character on the show. She was the only person who acted like a normal human being would when faced with a super-powered mutant. Nina has since moved on to a recurring role in the CBS hit FBI, playing Eva Nettles.
- Sendhil Ramamurthy (Gabe Lowen): Gabe was the villain we loved to hate (and then pity, and then hate again). Sendhil is basically TV royalty at this point. You’ve seen him in The Flash, Never Have I Ever, and he’s joining the cast of One Piece for season two.
Why the Beauty and the Beast TV Series Cast Still Matters
Usually, a show that gets "generally unfavorable" reviews from critics fades away. This one didn't. The cast stayed incredibly loyal to the project, and that filtered down to the audience.
They weren't just playing roles; they were building a world that felt urgent. When the show moved from the gritty, "beast-of-the-week" style of Season 1 into the more mystical, "ancestral gems" vibe of later seasons, the actors stayed grounded. That’s a skill. It’s hard to stay serious when you’re talking about prehistoric beast hunters, but Jay Ryan and Kristin Kreuk did it with a straight face and actual heart.
Realities of the CW Grind
People forget how grueling these shows are. We're talking 22 episodes a season (at first), 14-hour days in the freezing Toronto winter (which doubled for New York), and heavy prosthetic makeup for Jay.
Jay Ryan once mentioned in an interview with Collider that his makeup took four hours to put on and another hour to take off. Imagine doing that every single day for four years. It's no wonder that after the show ended, many of the cast members took a little breather or shifted toward smaller, more character-driven projects.
Where to Find Them Now
If you’re looking to catch up with the crew, here is the current status of the main players as of 2026:
- Kristin Kreuk: Leading Murder in a Small Town as Cassandra.
- Jay Ryan: Starring in the high-stakes drama The Ridge.
- Austin Basis: Appearing in various guest roles and active in the indie film scene.
- Sendhil Ramamurthy: Preparing for a major arc in One Piece.
- Nicole Gale Anderson (Heather Chandler): She’s mostly stepped back from the spotlight to focus on her family life, though fans still hope for a comeback.
The legacy of the show lives on mostly through streaming. It’s one of those cult classics that people discover every few years on platforms like Paramount+ or CW Seed. While the "beast" effects might look a little dated now, the chemistry of the beauty and the beast tv series cast remains top-tier.
To stay updated on what the cast is doing next, you should follow their official Instagram profiles—specifically Jay Ryan and Kristin Kreuk, who occasionally post throwbacks that send the Beasties into a total frenzy. You can also track their latest filmography updates on IMDb to see which streaming service is hosting their newest projects.